What If She's An Angel?
by ThickerThanLove
Summary: Songfic, based on Angel Raye's Chibi Senshi: The Chibi Senshi learn that sometimes small acts can have a large impact. Warning: this is sappy...please R


What if She's an Angel?

**Sailor Moon and Company are not mine but belong to their appropriate companies. The Chibi Senshi with the exception of Rini, belong to Angel Raye. The song "What if She's an Angel?" is property of Tommy Steiner.**

            Rini ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding in her chest. Why, of all her mother's traits, had she inherited her ability to be tardy? The Chibi Senshi had already gotten to school but Rini's junior high was a few blocks away and she had about ten minutes. One would think that would be plenty of time but the holiday season was in full swing. People were starting to buy gifts.

             "Miss…"

             Rini stopped. The person who had called out to her was an old man. He looked about seventy, at least. His clothes were ragged and he had dirt and grease on his face. Despite how wondrous Crystal Tokyo was, there were still a few homeless people. This was one of them.

              "Spare me a few yen, miss?" he asked her. "Just enough for some bread?"

              Rini felt her heart strands tugged at. Almost without thinking, she reached into her purse. She had a few yen, not enough to buy anything big but it might be enough to give this poor old man something to eat. Maybe even something sweet…

              Rini froze. Her mentor had told her a few weeks ago that as big as her heart was, she had her mother's weakness. She was too trusting. How did she know he was truly hungry? He could use her money for alcohol or drugs. Rini withdrew her hand. She swallowed,

              "I...I'm sorry…I'm out. And I'm late!"

              She tore from his grasp and down the street, towards her school. She could feel his eyes at her back. It made her deep red eyes water. Kami-sama, couldn't she have taken a chance and just given him a handful? Just maybe enough to get something from a street vendor.

               But no. Raye and the other Senshi told her that with the number of jobs available in Crystal Tokyo, very few homeless people were there by any other reason than choice. But what if he _was_? There were always those scarce few that either didn't have the education or simply got hit with an unlucky stick, due to fire or some other disaster.

               Rini had seen his eyes. Those weren't the eyes of someone who was there by choice. That old man reminded her of someone who had simply not had enough money for one thing or another and as a result was pitched onto the streets. Since there weren't a lot of homeless people, Crystal Tokyo didn't have a lot of homeless shelters. Those it did have were usually reserved for children.

              The class bell made her other thoughts vanish.

_There's a man standing on the corner__   
__with a sign sayin' "Will work for food"__   
__You know the man, you see him every morning__   
__The one you never give your money to___

            By the time school let out, Rini was exhausted. She started down the street when someone honked at her. She turned and grinned,

             "Lita!"

              The brown haired woman rolled the window down, "Climb in Rini. I could leave my restaurant early so I thought I'd give you girls a lift home."

              Rini beamed and climbed into the front seat, throwing her bag down at her feet and sighing. Lita chuckled as she pulled into the traffic,

               "Rough last day?"

               "Yes! Kami-sama…"

               Lita stopped at a light and started talking. Rini was halfway listening so she glanced out the window. Her deep red eyes were large as platters. 

               The same old man was still there, pleading to folks passing by. Rini saw now how thin he was because he was at a side view. His clothes were torn and at a closer glance, she saw that they were probably about a size too small. He'd torn them so they fit. 

               "Rini?"

               "Hmm?"

               "What are you looking at?"

    Rini gave her a shrug in reply. The old man turned, met her eyes. He recognized her, she could see it. But now, he seemed to see past her face and saw her status. He gave her a half bow. But his eyes betrayed his true feelings. Those eyes were hurt, almost broken looking. He knew who she was now. 

    The Crown Princess had tons of money. Rini could have given him money and now that he saw her face, he knew who she was. He knew what Rini did. He knew that she could have helped him. 

    He looked so sad! How could people live like that? How could they choose to live that way? Rini couldn't bear that thought. Perhaps she was materialistic. It wouldn't have surprised her. She supposed that since she had been doted on since she was born, it made sense. 

    Some of the morons at her school often teased her when she wouldn't buy them stuff simply because they asked. They always said, "says the girl who was born rich."

    The Crown Princess met the old man's eyes and mouthed,

    "Gomen."

_You can sit there with your window rolled up__   
__Wondering when the light's gonna turn green__   
__Never knowing what a couple more bucks__   
__in his pocket might mean..._

                Rini jerked her face away. Lita caught her glance.

                "it's hard for you, isn't it?"

                "yeah, I have the money…"

               "I know, Rini but you-"

               "yeah, I know. I don't know what he's using it for."

               "Exactly. I know it's hard. You and Serena are both that way."

               Rini nodded, "I know."

               Lita sighed; Rini was so much like her mother at times that it was scary. Rini was the type of princess who went out of her way to help people. That was a trait that won her mother's love with the people and would eventually do the same for Rini, when Serenity stepped down from the throne. 

                But sometimes, that 'gift' of a giant heart, became a curse. 

                When Rini had been younger, about ten, she kept coming home from school late. Finally, theyr ealized that it was because she was stopping by the homeless shelter to play with the children. They loved having an older playmate and the royal family was proud of her accomplishment but they were worried because that shelter wasn't in the bets of neighborhoods. After Rini became a fully-trained Senshi, she didn't have time to go anymore and that broke her heart. Lita looked at the crown princess.

              Rini was slapping herself. She could have risked a few yen!

               She looked down at her purse, which swung from her waist. When she looked back up, tears willingly fell from her eyes. He looked so miserable. This was supposed to be a Utopia. Why was this man suffering? Why? Why did people have to suffer? If she didn't help, why weren't others helping? 

               They were only thinking of themselves, some not even stopping and some even shoving him aside. Rini turned her eyes from the window.

                She couldn't bear it anymore.

What if he's an angel sent here from heaven   
and he's making certain that you're doing your best   
To take the time to help one another   
Brother are you gonna pass that test?

               Rini pushed her pink hair behind her ears as she bent over her winter assignment. It wasn't big, which was surprising. Who knew? Maybe the spirit of the season affected teachers too. In any event, that made her happy. It meant that she had more time to spend with Helios. He always came up from Elysian during the holiday season. 

                "Rini! Can I come in?"

                "Sure, Hope."

                The blue haired girl pushed the door open and then closed it. She was carrying her violin. Rini smiled, put her homework aside and said,

                 "What is it, Hope?"

                 "I decided to give Haruka-papa and Mirchiru-mama a CD of songs I wrote and played. I just added this one. Do you wanna hear?"

                "Of course, fire away!"

                The girl began to play a very slow song that she began to sing to. They were gentle words, and obviously meant to be happy. But the tune…

                Rini's thoughts drifted back to that old man. She knew that she had no reason to feel guilty but she did. She was like her mother in that way too. If there was an issue, she blamed herself as a general rule. She had her mother's trusting heart. Rini supposed that if she could drive, she'd give her car keys to a crook if he told her that he was a valet.

                "Rini!"

                "hmm?"

                "Is it sad? It wasn't supposed to be…"

                "no, it's beautiful, Hope!"

                "Then why are you crying?"

                "I…I don't know!" Rini said with a laugh. She wiped at her eyes, "Maybe it's that good!"

                Hope gave her a funny look but then smiled,

                "So Haruka-papa and Mirchiru-mama will like it?"

                "I'm sure they will," the princess answered her as the girl ran out. "I'm sure…"

You can go on with your day to day   
trying to forget what you saw on his face   
Knowing deep down you could have been his  
saving grace   
What if he's an angel?

    "Hey!"

                "Hi, Lyla!" Madelyn embraced one of her friends. She was good friends with Kara but Kara had introduced her to Lyla and now they were good friends too. Tonight was her first night at Lyla's. Lyla was an only child. The girl's father had died so it was just her and her mom.

                While Hotaru and Lyla's mother exchanged numbers and necessary instructions, the girls ran away to Lyla's room. Lyla lived in an apartment and it was pretty nice. Not nearly as nice as Madelyn's quarters at the palace but since Lyla's mother only had a job as a teacher, she couldn't afford much. But they did have a TV. It was usually in the living room but the girls were going to have a sleepover.

                "Madelyn!"

                The girl got up and hugged her mother. Hotaru smiled,

               "Be good darling and have fun. Just give me a call when you're ready to come home, all right?"

               "Okay, Mama."

               The two hugged, Hotaru kissed her and then she left. The two girls looked at each other and then ran back to Lyla's room. The red haired girl got down a box of jigsaw puzzles.

               "which one do you wanna do first?"

               Madelyn considered and then pointed to one of a beautiful princess, with wings. At closer glance, she laughed…

              "What's so funny?"

              "It's Aunt Serenity!"

              Lyla nodded and giggled, "Isn't it weird to see your family all over the city?"

              Madelyn smiled, "A little but it's kinda neat too."

             "I bet."

             The two girls set to work. Lyla's mother brought them their dinner and let them pick one movie to watch. The girls picked the same one: Sleeping Beauty. Lyla's mother said that that movie was old, from the twentieth century but it was still sweet and lovely. It looked a little primitive now but the girls loved the story.

             The two had just gotten through the opening credits when there was a loud slam heard, followed by,

             "Don't give me that! That's my sister! You can stay away from your office for a few days!"

             "She's a hoodlum!"

            "What the hell do you care? It's not like you're ever around!"

             "What? You bitch! I'm the one that gives you the money to buy all that useless-"

             Madelyn turned to Lyla,

            "Who's-"

            "Our neighbors, the Yungs. Don't worry…they always do that."

There's a man and there's a woman   
living right above you in apartment G   
There's a lot of noise coming through   
the ceiling and it don't sound like harmony

             Morning came easily enough. Madelyn sat up and stretched. She saw that Lyla was still asleep so she walked out onto their balcony until she woke up. She heard sniffling above her. She turned and tilted her head so she could see up. 

             On the balcony above theirs, there was a small woman. She looked like her mother's height and stature. She was sitting in the corner, crying.

             Madelyn went inside and said,

             "Excuse me, Yin-san?"

             Lyla's mother turned from making breakfast, 

            "What is it, dear?"

            "There's a woman above your apartement, crying-"

            "Yung-san. Kayla."

            "yeah, she looked really sad. Should we go see what's wrong?"

            "no dear."

            "Why?"

            "Kayla's a private person. She wouldn't appreciate us barging in on her affairs."

            "Well…okay, if you're sure."

            The woman smiled sadly, "I know it must hurt to know that your help wouldn't be appreciated but trust me, it's better that we don't get involved…for more reasons than one."

            Madelyn shrugged but nodded. 

            "Now, why don't you go wake up 'Sleeping beauty' so we can have breakfast?"

            "Okay."

            "did you girls finish the movie?"

            "almost. We're gonna finish it after breakfast."

            That's what the girls did. As they sat watching, Madelyn's heart ached as she heard Yung-kun return.

            Lyla turned the volume up.

You can sit there with your TV turned up   
While the words and his anger fly   
But come tomorrow when you see her with her   
shades on, can you look her in the eye?

            "Mama!"

            "Hey, darling!"

            Madelyn hugged her mother a few hours later as she came by to pick her up. Hotaru smiled,      

            "Did you have fun, darling?"

            "Uh huh."

            "Good. What did you two do?"

            Lyla smiled, "We watched a movie, played jigsaw puzzles and even got to use my Mom's make-up." She paused, "Lady Saturn."

            Hotaru smiled, "Tomoe-san will be fine, dear."

            Lyla nodded and her mother greeted Hotaru. 

            "You have a very well behaved daughter, miss. Caring too. You're doing a good job."

            Hotaru smiled, "Thank you. Your daughter seems very sweet as well."

            Madelyn smiled, "maybe next time you can some to my quarters!"

            Lyla smiled, "I'd like that."

            Madelyn bid her friend goodbye and a happy holiday and walked with her mother to the car.

            The girl's sixth sense perked up. She turned slowly.

            Yung-san was standing at the top the stairs. She walked down slowly.

            "Madelyn…"

            Madelyn saw that her mother was waiting so she climbed into the car. As Hotaru started the engine, Madelyn followed the woman with her eyes. She walked past the car and as Madelyn watched, she pulled her sleeve down over a dark black bruise on her left forearm.

            "Madelyn, dear, it isn't polite to stare."

            "Sorry Mama."

            The girl turned her face away but watched out of the side of her eyes.

            Yung-san wiped tears from her eyes and pulled a set of shades from her pocket, putting them on.

What if she's an angel sent here from heaven   
and she's making certain that you're doing your best   
To take the time to help one another   
Brother are you gonna pass that test?

            "Hey Ariel," 

            The small girl smiled and greeted her 'aunt' and best friend.

            "Where are you going, Ariel?" Hotaru asked, kneeling to the girl's level.

            "Gonna go see Mommy. She said that she was gonna be at the palace hospital a while but that I could come visit her if I wanted to."

            "Can we come?"

            "Yeah."            

            The same group walked towards the palace hospital. Madelyn thought back to that woman. She had been beaten, Madelyn could tell. Why didn't Lyla's mother call someone? They knew she was being hurt, Madelyn could tell by that sorrow filled look that Lyla's mother carried when she spoke of Yung-san.

            Why hadn't she done something? Because she was told not to? 

            But that didn't make sense to Madelyn. She was a Senshi and her job was to protect. Did that not fall under her protection category? She could have healed the woman's wounds at the very least! But then they would alerted her mother, her mother would have asked Lyla's mother why she hadn't reported it…

            Madelyn shook her head, why did everything have to be so complicated?

            She had seen Rini sad a few days ago. Rini hadn't said why but Madelyn wondered if it was because of a dilemma like hers. A desire to help where they were told they could not. Because they were children? Was that why it was thought that they could do nothing?

            Madelyn  sighed deeply. She'd ask Neo-Queen-Serenity later. She was her mentor after all. Besides, she had such a giant heart. She'd known what to do and what could be done because she was the queen. Or she and Uncle Endymion would discuss it.

            Her mind made up, Madelyn followed her best friend into the palace hospital. Aunt Amy seemed to be a little distressed and was happy to see them. She knelt and Ariel ran into her arms. Hotaru looked at Amy,

            "How is she?"

            Madelyn looked up, "Who?"

You can go on with your day to day   
trying to forget what you saw on her face   
Knowing deep down you could have been her   
saving grace   
What if she's an angel?

            Amy sighed, "We had a new patient admitted today. A little girl from…I think…" she looked at her clipboard. "China."

            "What's wrong with her?"

            Amy looked at her daughter, "Would you girls like to meet her? She's about your age."

            "Okay, but Mommy, what's wrong with her? That way we won't be so shocked if she's yellow or something."

            Amy sighed, "She has leukemia."

            "So she won't have hair, right?" Madelyn asked. Amy nodded, 

            "That's right but I think she would welcome visitors. Her father's with her now."

            "Don't they have hospitals in China?" Madelyn asked as she followed Amy down the hall. She was stunned that Amy had suggested that they be allowed to see her. Usually Amy was very stern that children not be allowed in the hospital wing. But she was not about to question good fortune.

            "They do, Madelyn." Hotaru answered, "But they have done all they can. Her father came here because we are more advanced."

            "oh."

            Amy knocked on a door. 

            "Come in," came a cheerful voice.

            Amy opened the door and smiled faintly, "Our daughters wanted to meet little Asia."

            The man who had greeted them smiled. He was a short man, with dark black hair and deep brown eyes. He looked fairly young, perhaps in his early thirties or late twenties. He had on casual clothes but obviously was not poor. He smiled at the girls and gestured them in.

            "Asia, this is-"

            "Ariel,"

            "Madelyn," the two introduced themselves.

            The small girl looked up shyly. She wore jeans and a baggy white shirt and a black baseball cap. She smiled, revealed two missing front teeth. She was about five.

            "Hello."

A little girl on daddy's lap   
hiding her disease with a baseball cap   
You can turn the channel,   
most people do but what if you were sitting in   
her daddy's shoes?

            "Ku-san?" Amy said gently, "if we may talk to you?"

            He nodded, set Asia on the bed and then followed the adults out into the hallway. Ariel got up to listen while Madelyn spoke to Asia.

            "Hi Asia."

            "Hey."

            "I like your outfit. Do you play sports? Faith would like you."

            "I like soccer."

            "Ah, you got a lot of stuffed animals. I thought only Annika had this many."

            Asia grinned a little. She spoke in her soft voice, 

            "Daddy said that they'll cheer me up."

            "I like that one," Madelyn said, pointing to a red cat. "Do you have a favorite? I have a favorite doll."

            Asia seemed to calm and grinned and her new friend. She pulled out a set of dolls…Chibi Senshi.

            "These. When I heard we were coming to Crystal Tokyo, I hoped I'd get to see the Chibi Senshi…" she shook her head, "I've seen the regular Senshi but I wanted to meet Cosmic Moon and the Chibi Senshi."

            Madelyn grinned. If she only knew…

            The door opened. Ariel looked at Madelyn with tears in her eyes. Hotaru and Amy gestured the girls out. Madelyn smiled at Asia.

            "Who knows? You might."

            She walked out. The two adults were talking. Madelyn felt it. A bad aura in the air. Ariel pulled her aside.

            "She's gonna die!"

            "Nani?"

            "I heard Mommy say so. She said it's too far along. Asia's…she won't be alive next year!"

            Madelyn's heart tugged. This was the second thing today she couldn't-

            No! her eyes narrowed. She spoke to Ariel with determination,

            "Well, then she deserves the one thing we can do."

            "Nani?"

            Madelyn pulled out her communicator. "Minna, meet Ariel and me by the Palace Hospital."

Maybe she's an angel sent here from heaven   
and she's making certain that you're doing your best   
To take the time to help one another   
Brother are you gonna pass that test?

            "Now, you two mind telling us what we're doing here?"

            Madelyn took a breath, "there's a little girl named Asia here."

            Ariel picked up, "she came here from China because she had cancer and there was a chance Mommy could cure her."

            Ariel paused, "She can't."

            Rini picked up, "she'll die."

            "Hai."

            "That's sad, Ariel," Maggie admitted, "But what does that have to do with us? We aren't miracle workers. If your mother can't heal her…"

            Madelyn answered, "You're right, we aren't miracles. But maybe we can give her a dream."

            "Nani?" Annika asked, curiously. Madelyn smiled,

            "She said that she wished that she could see the Chibi Senshi and Cosmic Moon. Well, I think she deserves that."

            Rini thought back to the day before. She hadn't been able to help that old man. She had no way of undoing that. But now, here was another…one she could help.

            The Chibi Senshi turned to Rini, their leader. Rini smiled gently,

            "Hai."

            Asia opened her eyes as her door opened, some people came in and then it closed swiftly. Her father had gone to get some coffee and said he would be back in ten minutes. These folks were definitely not her father. 

            It was the princesses! The Crown princess and then the other Princesses, plus of course the two she had already met. The Crown Princess approached her bed.

            "We heard you were sick. And we thought we might give you something to cheer you up."

            Asia's curiosity was peeked,

            "Nani?"

            Rini smiled, "Minna?"

            "Mars Power!"

            "Venus Power!"

            "Mercury Power!"

            "Jupiter Power!"

            "Uranus Power!"

            "Neptune Power!"

            "Saturn Power!"

            "Pluto Power!"

            "Moon Cosmic Power!"

            In unison, the girls commanded, 

            "MAKE UP!"

            Asia's eyes went wide as saucers as she saw the beautiful transformations occur. The girls spun around and then Asia was suddenly facing Sailor Cosmic Moon and the Chibi Senshi.

            "It's YOU!" she screamed, in awe and wonder, "You came!"

            Cosmic Moon nodded, "Yes. You deserve it. We cannot stay long but we thought you deserved a little visit for your bravery."

            Asia's eyes water. Cosmic Moon sat on her bed and handed her the moon scepter. "Go ahead."

            The girl spun the scepter about, awed. Cosmic Moon added,

            "but you must promise not to tell anyone WHO you saw become the Chibi Senshi. Understand?"

            "HAI!"

            She was laughing, ecstatic. She handed the scepter back. Chibi Venus and Chibi Mars came up to her next. She was allowed to try on Chibi Mars' sandals and to hold Chibi Venus' love arrow. She did not fire it of course, merely turned it over in her hands.

            Chibi Mercury let her play with her minicomputer and she got to hold the Silence Glaive of Chibi Saturn's. It was actually very light. She was too afraid to twirl it around but she did not waste time doing that with Chibi Pluto's staff. Chibi Jupiter couldn't let her hold anything but she did call on thunder and lightning for her to see.

            Chibi Neptune and Chibi Uranus let her finger and play with their talismans. She was in tears, tears of joy. When she handed them back, the Chibi Senshi each embraced her, even Chibi Uranus who she always saw as the opposite of touchy feely. 

            "We have to go now, Asia," Cosmic Moon finally told her. She could hear footsteps. She knelt to the girl's level and then removed her tiara. It shrank at her will and she slid it onto Asia's wrist. Asia gasped,

            "F...for me?"

            "Hai…in return, you just promise me that you'll never lose your love for life."

            "Hai, I promise."

            As a last bit of a show, the Chibi Senshi made a circle around her bed. Each one gave her a wink and then,

            "Sailor Teleport!"

            They vanished from sight. Asia fingered the tiara that was wrapped around her wrist.

            "Arigato."

            Asia died smiling…and with a tiara about her wrist.

You can go on with your day to day   
trying to forget what you saw on her face   
Knowing deep down you could have been her   
saving grace   
What if she's an angel?


End file.
